Hidden Treasures
by asdf111
Summary: Set post HBP. Harry owns 12 Grimauld place and he discovers an attic that contains relics of his parent's school days. The room absorbs his thoughts while he tries to get over deaths and cope with romance. Please R&R!
1. Wandering Wonder of the Attic

**I own nothing!**

Hidden Treasures Chapter 1: Wandering Wonder of the Attic

Everything was old; it even smelled old. The more recently spun, silver flecked cobwebs were probably older than he was.

A boy of moderate height, sixteen years old, looked curiously around a vast, wood paneled wall attic. He took off his broken, circular glasses and failed to clean them of their dust, wiping them off on his vibrant green shirt.

His name was Harry James Potter, and he was absently glancing at a strange at a strange watch adorning his wrist. It had gears, secret compartments, mysterious unmarked buttons and on the back was etched in gold, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes." The watch's alarm suddenly went off, and Harry's dismay shook the floor around him and a thin layer of dirt. Somewhere downstairs a woman was calling him for lunch. It was Mrs. Weasley, his best friend, Ron's mother.

Harry made his way down the steep and winding attic stairs and re-sealed the door magically; he would have to continue exploring with out distractions of meals. He made a mental note of doing so after everyone else was in bed.

The table was set for four people. While Harry was the owner of 12 Grimauld place, Mrs. Weasley still felt it was her job to do the better part of the cooking and cleaning. Harry tried to be a good host and cook, but the outcome was disastrous. He sealed his lips and took a seat in between Ron and Hermione Granger, his other best friend.

Lunch would have been silent if not for the munching of apple slices, the bustling of Mrs. Weasley around the kitchen, and the animate chatter of Ron's younger sister, Ginny. Harry had been quite taken with her the previous year, but now his mind could focus on nothing but the future. His future with Voldemort.

_"That is why," Harry thought to himself, "That is why I need to explore the attic; I need to keep my mind away from what happened with Dumbledore."_

His stomach dropped to his knees at the thought. He rose from the table, looking at his worn sneakers and mumbled,

"I think I'll go rest. Do you need help cleaning up after lunch Mrs. Weasley?"

"No dear, you go on up to your bed and rest before the Fred, George and Arthur arrive from the Ministry. You look like dead on your feet," Molly Weasely said, while magically conjuring dish soap.

Harry's thoughts took over once more,

_"Funny she should say that. 'Dead on my feet.' I can think of so many people whose greatest desire is for me to be 'dead on my feet.' "_

This day marked the first official week that he owned 12 Grimauld Place. He had gotten legal advice from a Muggle lawyer that found a loophole stating that since he was Sirius' godson, he was his legal heir. He inherited everything even if Bellatrix was living. Soon she would attend a court hearing of her own in the next month.

Harry lay there on his bed, watching Hedwig clean between her toes when Ron walked in and sat in the nearest chair.

" Hey Harry, we should do something. You know, to keep us busy. I don't like sitting here waiting for something bad to happen. Want a game of Exploding Snap? Or maybe Chess? I just want to pass time."

It was all Harry's emotional strength to lift his head and shake it at Ron.

"No, go one without me. I'm tired, go talk to Hermione or Ginny. I'll play later; I promise."

It felt as if a grim veil had been thrown over the house and over Harry's vision as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

_"At least I can explore that weird attic later."_

His last thought before snuggling down into his pillow and closing his weary eyes.


	2. The First Lock

I don't own anything

Hidden Treasures Chapter 2 The First Lock

The sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice jolted him out of the safe haven of his bed. Harry heard her calling him downstairs for the last minute or so. He wasn't so ready get up just yet. A quick yell from Harry,

"JUST A MINUTE,"

And another yell from Molly,

"OKAY DEAR,"

Was all that Harry needed to buy some time. He slipped his hand into his polyester pillowcase and pulled from it a small leather bound book. Harry recorded his dreams in it. When Dumbledore was alive, he advised Harry to do it.

"_Don't! Don't think about him anymore. It was not your fault; you couldn't help anything. Now write down the dream before you forget, Harry."_

Harry shook his head and took his glasses from the nightstand and slipped them over his face. He began to write:

Tuesday, July 29, 1997 

_I was in the cave again and there were inferi chasing me and I called for Dumbledore to help me, but he wasn't there. Ginny was there instead of him and she was only scowling at me. She was finally speaking to me. when she transformed into a younger version of my mum. She told me she loved no matter what and then all I saw was the wide stretching floors of the attic and a broken watch on the floor._

_Harry_

He read it over a couple of times and accepted that that was all he was going to remember and headed downstairs to prepare for dinner.

Mr. Weasley and the twin were visiting them for Harry's upcoming birthday. He had insisted that he didn't want a celebration of any kind but they overruled him. Dinner was rushed and Harry was hurried up to his room shortly after. Hushed voices followed his departure as Harry trampled up the steps to his room. Immediately he set to work. Searching through his trunk, he found what he was looking for: his old copy of _The Dream Oracle by: Inigo Imago._

Flipping through the pages, Harry set to decoding his dream.

"_This sounds as if Trelawney wrote it herself!" _he thought.

_The Dream Oracle, page 620:_

"_You are discovering time and it's limitations. Embrace the emotional field that's surrounding you. You fear change and separation from loved ones. Memory will play a big part in your quest for yourself."_

Harry listened to the oncoming footsteps to his room, and only seconds later, Ron, Hermione and Ginny casually walked into his room and sat on the floor in a huddle. Harry told them of his dream and showed them the book. Ron laughed out loud,

"Do you believe this? Don't take it so serious Harry. It's just Trelawney's old dumb book!"

He grinned triumphantly at Harry; Hermione slapped Ron on the arm lightly, but then mumbled her apology and her cheeks heated with a faint blush. They would steal the occasional glance or peek at each other, but still nothing came of it. The other would look while the other wasn't paying proper attention.

Ginny was fidgeting uncomfortably on the floor. She asked to be excused, and without waiting for an answer, made her way out of the room. Harry wanted to say something. He really did, but he couldn't look her in the eye. It might betray his still ripe feelings for her.

Ron, putting on his brotherly instinct, said suddenly,

"I'd better go talk to her. I will be right back."

"Okay"

"See you"

Hermione moved closer to Harry, and sat on the chair by his bed. She heaved a sigh of relief that Ron had finally left. She looked as if she had a lot on her mind.

"Harry, do you think he has noticed me yet. I mean, honestly, I give him every possible hint and he is always too thick in fog to see!"

All of a sudden, Harry realizes what Hermione is saying,

"You have never talked about it before, Hermione. I was sure you two fancied each other, but nothings ever come of it."

She clicked her tongue impatiently and said finally after a long pause:

"Well! I am going to do something about it!"

"Everyone could do with a little extra love,"

Said Harry glumly.

"Your right Harry. I've enjoyed our talk, thank you, no really, thank you. I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

" 'Night Hermione."

She left the room. Harry took her absence as his cue to grab the invisibility cloak and go exploring.

The attic was as he left it. Though, it seemed to have accumulated about a half an inch more dust since this morning. Harry walked to a far corner with ancient newspaper clippings hanging on the wall above a massive leather trunk. The articles were a faded yellow that dated back 17 years. The ink was chipped, making them unintelligible. It was the trunk that interested him. Three elaborate locks sealed this magnificent antique. Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the first lock,

"Alohamora."

Surprisingly, it opened, and what Harry saw made him step back a little. Harry saw his mother's face moving around in a wizard photograph, with what looked to be the Minister of Magic at the time. A large book with torn pages fell open before him.


	3. Posessions

Thank you for Eternal Echo who reviewed me. I tried to do my best with grammar. I hope you like this chapter. Please tell me if Harry's birth date is accurate.

Owning **nothing** at this moment.

Hidden Treasures Chapter 3 Posessions

Flipping through the pages, Harry thought that this book was familiar somehow. He leaned back on his elbows to think properly,

"_It reminds me of an ancient version of the photo album that Hagrid gave me at the end of first year, except no leather binding."_

There were photographs of 4 Privet Drive. They had to be twenty to thirty years old. Harry's mother and his Aunt Petunia were sitting on the front stoop waving to the camera. An awkward, thirteen year old Petunia looking amused next to her younger, ten-year-old sister. They looked happy.

Harry squinted through the dust at the next picture. He was startled to see a photo of an older couple holding hands with the faces burned off with what looked like a cigarette, but to the more trained eye, could've been made with a wand. The caption was scratched off and replaced with a new one in a foreign language.

_"I'll have to copy it down and ask Hermione about it later. Hopefully she won't be suspicious." _Harry thought, while he idly turned the page to see a picture of his dad smirking at him mischievously and winking. This picture was different. A muggle camera took all of the photos before this. Harry was quickly bored of the album and set it aside, promising to himself that he'd look at the rest later.

The next item lifted out of the trunk was a journal with a creamy-colored lace border. The initials P.E. and L.E. were written in calligraphy at the bottom. He opened the journal. The first page was empty; the pages continued to be empty as he flipped them. Harry was confused. This could possibly be yet another thing to ask Hermione about tomorrow.

"_Invisible ink maybe?"_

Harry concentrated hard on the dull paper. Some pages were drastically dog-eared, just as if someone marked them.

_"Could this be like Riddle's diary? Maybe I should write something and they will write back. These could be the initials of my mom and Aunt Petunia before they hated each other. I could be wrong, but I am still curious. Of course my mom wouldn't attempt to make a Horucux. What an idea! I think I will take this with me." _Harry hastily stuffed the journal in his pocket as if someone could be watching.

This time Harry actually put his face in the trunk to have a closer look. It was suddenly dark.

"Lumos!" He said with some quick thinking.

He found himself ogling a pair of matching wedding bands lying atop a parchment with crinkled edges and glowing letters. It was Harry's own certificate of birth.

**Harry James Potter: July 31, 1981**

Thinking it might come in handy; he folded up the parchment and put it neatly inside the front page of the journal. The trunk was now empty. Harry put the album back and threw the loose photos on top of it and locked the trunk.

"_It is getting late. I'll get some sleep tonight and try the other locks tomorrow night."_

He picked the journal, and his only official birth certificate off the floor where he left them and headed down the high steps to his bed.


	4. Party Plans

Hidden Treasures Chapter 4 Party Plans

What Harry needed at the moment was a cup of tea or a warm mug of coffee. This was another night when falling into a comfortable sleep was a difficult task. He tried to think of pleasant things, but his mind would always drift back to the same thing: Ginny. He would like to imagine him kissing her and putting his arms around her waist while she stroked his cheek, but no, just no.

" _I shouldn't even go there. I am the one who broke it off and now she hates me for it. She won't even look at me or talk to me. She excuses herself from the table early. Ginny probably doesn't even want to be in my house."_

Maybe Harry could talk to her and they could gradually feel their way into being friends again. Then later, when it was safe to be with her, she wouldn't mind being with him again. It was that thought that put him to sleep.

A couple of hours later, Harry woke up to his body clock at seven in the morning. He wanted to help Mrs. Weasley with breakfast and getting everyone ready for the day. She was, of course, up way before Harry, and had already started feeding breakfast to her husband and twin sons before they were off to work. She noticed Harry standing in the doorway, fiddling with his emerald green pajama top.

"Harry dear," she said, surprised to see him up so early. "Why don't you come sit down next to Arthur and have some toast while I put on the eggs? Tomorrow is your seventeenth birthday; you'll finally be of age. You need something in your stomach if you're going to pass your apparition test on Friday."

He sat down at the table next to Mrs. Weasley's balding husband with Fred on the other side of him. They were both sipping mugs of steamy black coffee simultaneously. George was indulging in French toast, using all of the syrup to drench it in.

"Good morning Harry!" the three Weasley's said cheerily, all of them being morning people.

Harry was still half asleep when he replied, " 'Morning everyone." He stopped for a second and then said, "Yeah, I'll have some toast, thanks. Mrs. Weasley, do you want any help for breakfast later? I can set the table or wash dishes or anything else. I don't want to doing everything all of the time."

Molly Weasley just smiled at Harry and poured him a glass of orange juice. "Nonsense Harry! I can get things done faster because I can use magic, _legally."_ Stressing the last word. "It would just be easier that way. When you turn seventeen tomorrow you can make all of the breakfast you want, but of course I wont let you because it's your birthday!"

He wanted to argue back, but Molly Weasley was the closest thing he had to a mother and whatever she says, goes.

Harry sat at the table talking and eating until Arthur, Fred and George apparated to work. Despite the disapproval from Mrs. Weasley he helped with the dishes, and then went to wake up Ron, Hermione and Ginny while she made pancakes.

Soon enough after they were all sitting at the table enjoying Mrs. Weasley's delicious pancakes with fresh fruit on top. No syrup; George finished it all. They chatted happily about their plans to visit Diagon Alley that day. Everyone was eager to shop for Harry's birthday present or to find amusing party favor or decoration for the party. Hermione's mind would usually be busy thinking about a new book from Flourish & Blott's, but instead she was casting sly and furtive glances in Ron's direction. And for once, Ron wasn't being as thick as usual; he noticed the looks, and had to keep taking frequent sips of orange juice, as he blushed.

A lot of people were coming to the party. The whole Weasley family was invited, and the whole lat of them were coming, including Percy with his fiancée, Penelope Clearwater. Mostly all of the people on the guest list were order members: Remus Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody and Minerva McGonagall to name a few. No on was sure if this was a safe idea as a lot of Aurors would be at the party, making them open for attack, and unable to call for back up. Harry also invited some school friends. Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnagin, Dean Thomas (much to Ginny's displeasure) and Luna Lovegood. He wanted to invite Lavender and Parvati, but Ron said no to that. Mrs. Weasley was really making a big deal out of the party because it is his "first wizarding birthday bash," as she puts it sometimes.

They all donned 'normal' clothes so they could venture out into Muggle London without being taken for odd. As soon as they were in the Leaky Cauldron, the group split up: Harry and Ron then Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. They set up a time to meet each other in an hour for lunch then went off to their business.

Harry and Ron headed straight to _Quality Quidditch Supplies _to drool over the latest model of the _Firebolt._

Ron was particularly ecstatic, "Look at how fast it goes Harry! I don't suppose I will ever be able to afford one of those, even with dad's promotion, and Fred and George's success." Harry snickered at the look on Ron's face. Ron was biting his chapped lower lip, and it was turning white while his blue eyes where open wide in admiration. He suddenly assumed a normal expression of wonder and said to Harry, "Have you noticed how strange Hermione has been acting lately? She keeps looking at me like she expects something, and I don't know what she wants, Harry!"

Again, he laughed at Ron. "It's pretty obvious what she wants, Ron. She fancies you, she has for years."

Ron looked as if lightning hit him right at the second. "I do too, but I don't know how to tell her! Should I just come out and say it or just wait for a right time?"

"There isn't any right time, Ron. Ever since Voldemort came back people have been dying. You can't waste anytime; if you do you'll regret it. It might help if you get her a flower or ask to have a private talk, and then tell her. She won't react to you badly."

Ron agreed to Harry's advice, and they made their way from the window of _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ to a shop that sells gifts for all occasions. Ron picked out a pink and a red rose to give to Hermione. In his mind he was already setting the scene for their future conversation. He caught sight of his sister's flaming mane of hair, and quickly shoved the roses out of sight.

The lunch at the Leaky Cauldron was quiet except for Mrs. Weasley positively beaming at the purchases for Harry that she had to keep secret until tomorrow. The bar was silent; they were the only customers besides a shady looking witch wearing a tatty balaclava. The bartender, Tom looked glum as her polished the already shining tables.

Everyone was relieved to arrive home. Exhaustion was something Harry and Ron usually don't feel when shopping, but today was an exception as they tagged behind Mrs. Weasley as she helped select Ginny's first new set of dress robes. The four children waited dinner with impatience, and they tried to occupy their stomachs by throwing a Quaffle back and forth across the living room.

"Dinner is ready!" came the loud and shrill voice of Mrs. Weasley under a sufficient amount of stress. The initiation to dinner was followed by the sound of a gong. They all sat down at once, not caring where or whom they are stepping on. The food was placed in front of their faces, and suddenly the room was quiet with the sound of low chewing. This gave Molly Weasley the time for a peaceful diversion. She went up to her bedroom to magically wrap Harry's gift in paper that would flash different colors and patterns every five seconds. It went from a navy colored gingham to a rainbow colored polka dot.

She waited for the sound of pounding feet up the stair for her signal that the kitchen was a safe place to be. It was fifteen till seven and she wanted the kids to go to bed early so she could prepare for the next day.


End file.
